Sports

December 03, 2013

Pierre Cardin's Relax line of men's sportswear channeled the informal mood of 1970s fashion. Instead of tailored business suits, Relax offered a variety of casual clothing options. In the late 1970s, sporty, casual jackets, wide-collared button-up shirts, and pleated, baggy pants were part of the Relax look. In 1979, Bill Cunningham (yes, the same Bill Cunningham of street-photography fame!) described a model in the Pierre Cardin Relax runway show as looking "like he just fell off a park bench...headed straight for a handout at the local rescue mission."1 According to Cunningham, this intentionally sloppy look was aligned with the general mood of men's fashion:"the neatly-pressed executive suit is not exactly threatened—yet. But the wrinkled realist with the 10 o'clock shadow is definitely coming on strong."2

May 03, 2013

Two women posed for this casual outdoor snapshot, c. 1911. Their nearly identical ensembles of short-sleeved middy blouses and ankle-length skirts suggest summertime leisure. Though popular as school uniforms for children,
middy blouses were also worn as women’s sportswear. The
loose fit made swinging a racket or holding an oar much easier, and also set
the mood for watching spectator sports. The slight rumpling of their
middy blouses suggests these women have recently engaged in some kind of sporting
activity. The parasols add a colorful accent to these casual ensembles.